


Not The Time

by if420fireflies



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A Smidge of Hurt/Comfort, Auror Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, Aurors, Confused Harry Potter, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Oneshot, Pining, asimov's three laws, no beta we die like men, robotics gone wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26980282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/if420fireflies/pseuds/if420fireflies
Summary: Two Aurors attempt to have a conversation, slightly hampered by Draco's rogue golem automatons. And the fact that Harry really can't tell the difference between jealousy and desire.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78





	Not The Time

**Author's Note:**

> Part of an informal two-hour prompt writing contest I did with my girlfriend. Slightly edited post-contest. Prompt: robots, park. Thank you in advance for reading!

The animated golem fires off another round of attack spells, narrowly missing Harry as he runs for the cover of a low-built stone wall. Malfoy, irritatingly, is already there, lighting a cigarette. As if the middle of an assignment is an appropriate time to have a fucking smoke. Harry glances around the Magical Gardening Society’s park, spotting two more golems skulking behind a set of greenhouses.

“Malfoy.”

“Potter.”

“Honestly, I knew this would happen if _you_ were in charge of coding the golems. How’s a former Death Eater supposed to have enough knowledge of moral codes to avoid making golems that want to _kill_ everyone?”

“As if it has anything to do with personal morality. It was a mere mistake. Clearly, Asimov’s rules are not sufficient.” 

“Okay, this is not the time for more arguments about Asimov.”

Harry’s done his best to move past the war and Voldemort, and labelling people as good and evil, black and white. But something about Malfoy continuously rankles at him. From what Harry’s seen, the man’s constantly determined to be the one leading every mission, even if he’s not anywhere near a position of authority. Just like Malfoy had somehow convinced Robards to allow _him_ to develop prototypes for the automated golem task force. What really _gets_ Harry though, is that everyone who works with Malfoy seems perfectly content with this state of affairs. As if it’s just fine for Malfoys to waltz in and take up command, just like they always have. 

At least this mission, Malfoy hasn’t yet tried any of that shit. But still, it doesn’t change the fact that working with him is a nightmare. He’s stubborn (refused to dismantle the golems even when Harry pointed out their eyes were glowing a kind of red that could only be described as evil), pedantic (argued for an hour, all while fending off two murderous automatons, about how he’d like to see _Harry_ do a better job of coding golems) and worst of all, _worst of all,_ he’s incredibly good at what he does.

Like right now. Malfoy touches the end of his cigarette to a small flask of something, then turns around and hurls the flask at the golem’s feet. Gears within the golem clank for a second, turning its head to examine the object at its feet. Then, the flask explodes, blowing off the golem’s legs. Malfoy produces a small victorious smile.

Actually, the fact that he’s good at being an Auror is far from the worst thing. The _worst_ thing is that he’s so overwhelmingly gorgeous he makes Harry want to shove him against the wall and kiss him.

Harry casts a quick Body-Bind on the remainder of the golem. It’s his only option, because almost all offensive magic backfires on the golems. They store it and send it back at the caster. Because Malfoy had specifically designed them that way.

“Believe me, I don’t want this either,” Malfoy says. “Look out.”

Harry ducks as a second rogue golem casts _Incendio_ at their hiding place, and casts a reinforcing spell on the wall.

“Cover me for a second?” Malfoy says, pulling out another flask.

“Yeah, sure.” Harry ducks out from behind the wall and runs into a flower bed, waving until the golem is focused on him. From the corner of his eye, he sees Malfoy chucking the flask. The golem explodes, again. Harry runs back to the wall. There’s probably about five or six more out there.

“Cool.” Malfoy smiles at him. _Smiles_. Harry stares. “Uh, sorry,” he says, abruptly turning away.

“Is that what you do? Smile at people to get them to like you, so that you can get what you want?” Harry asks. He regrets the words as soon as he says them, but he’s unable to stop himself. It’s better than the other thing he wants to do.

“What?” Malfoy asks, somewhat quietly, scraping the mud off of his wand.

“Whatever. Do what you want, Malfoy.”

“I don’t-”

“Watch your head.” A golem sends an _Avada Kedavra_ into the stone just above them. 

“Fuck. Killing curses? I definitely didn’t program _that_ into them.” 

“So, what, your golems are becoming sentient?” 

“Hm,” Malfoy replies. Harry can tell without even looking at him that his eyes are alight with investigative interest. He turns to Malfoy, and yep, his eyes are practically sparking with curiosity. Actually, looking at Malfoy was a complete mistake, because it gives Harry time to notice that Malfoy has braided his hair. Which does not help the whole wanting to kiss him situation.

“Not the time to geek out over robotics, Malfoy.” 

Malfoy ignores him, then says, quite sporadically, “You know, Potter, me being an Auror isn’t just all some political act I’m putting on.”

“Also not the time for _that_ , Malfoy. Do you have any more flasks?”

“Yes.”

“Golem at 1 o’clock. I’ll cover you again.”

“Alright.”

They run through the flask routine again, which has turned out to be the only thing that consistently works. Which Harry also sees as a mistake, because it gives Harry ample time to stare at Malfoy’s clothes. Which fit him impossibly well.

When Malfoy returns, Harry tells him “Yeah, I know you’re not just being an Auror for cred,” which astonishes Harry himself, and clearly surprises Malfoy too. “So why? Honestly, I thought it was for the power.”

Malfoy gives a short and brittle laugh. “Believe me, I’ve seen very well what happens when you do things for power.”

“Like your father?”

Malfoy glances at him, and he momentarily looks like he's gearing up to say something scathing, but he rapidly deflates. 

“Sure. Like my father. Do you really want to know why I joined?”

“Two more, 7 and 8 on the clock, near the vegetable gardens.”

“I’m out of flasks.”

“Fuck. Should we try to _Incendio_ them again?”

“Yeah, fire seems best. I joined the Aurors because I wanted to be where you were. Guess old habits die hard.”

Harry snorts. Malfoy sits there with one leg casually flung out, putting together what looks like a improvised bow, loose bits of hair that have escaped from his plait swinging into his eyes, and Harry _really_ wants to kiss him.

“Whatever you say, Draco.”

“What the _fuck?_ ” Malfoy asks.

Too late, Harry realizes his mistake.

“Oh. I meant to say Malfoy, but I suddenly felt so much hatred for you that I slipped up and said your first name instead. Sorry about that.”

“Potter, are you _okay?_ ”

“Look, I’m just really irritated by the fact that I have to work with you-”

“Understandable.”

“-and the fact that you’re so fucking stubborn, and pedantic, and the fact that you’re _right_ all the time, which just makes everything else worse, honestly. And _why_ do you have to wear your hair like that? It’s fucking annoying. Can’t you make it look less good or something? It’s practically a workplace hazard. And also do you get your robes tailored? Because I don’t think Auror robes are supposed to look like that. It’s a fucking distraction.”

Harry shuts his mouth, reviews what he just said, looks at Draco’s shocked expression, and Apparates away.

He finds himself right next to the two approaching golems.

“Potter, you idiot,” Malfoy says, Apparating next to him. “Our whole advantage was long-distance offense.” He Transfigures his wand into a scimitar and slashes the first one at the waist, narrowly dodging a _Crucio_ from the second.

“Malfoy. Please, _please_ ignore what I just said.”

“Like you keep saying, not the time for that.” He pivots around to face the second golem, and casts an _Incendio_ at it. Nothing happens for a second.

“Malfoy! You can’t cast directly at them, you idiot!”

Then the golem absorbs the magic, and reflects it right back at Malfoy. He screams shortly, trying to dodge, but the golem maintains a steady stream of fire directly at him.

“Oh, for _fucks_ sake, Draco.” Harry dodges into the flames and Apparates Draco back to the wall. 

“Are you alright? Oh, fuck.” Draco’s braid is half burned off, and his robes are charred, flaking away onto the ground. There’s what looks like first and second-degree burns on his face and hands, which had been directly exposed to the fire.

“Well, I no longer have hair. Or robes, apparently,” Draco remarks dully, holding up a rapidly disintegrating sleeve. “So fortunately for you, you won’t need to endure distraction any longer, Saint Potter.” Draco blinks dazedly up at him. “I like you too, you fucking idiot.”

“Not the time. Let’s get you to St. Mungo’s.”

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly impressed I managed to churn this out in two hours.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! Also as always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated.


End file.
